By AP/KWMU
Chicago, Ill. – Illinois regulators say they want Ameren to fix problems that contribute to power outages, and the utility says it will cooperate.
The Illinois Commerce Commission heard Wednesday from its own inspectors on Ameren. The St. Louis-based utility serves more than one million customers in central and southern Illinois.
Inspectors found code violations, broken poles, exposed wires, bird nests in poles and inadequate tree trimming during the summer of 2006.
The report says Ameren is improving when it comes to service interruptions, but not fast enough. Ameren spokesman Leigh Morris says the company is eager to improve the safety and reliability of the system.